The Tale of Three Winchesters
by hullosweetpea
Summary: When three hunters overcome Death they are each granted a wish in return. Will they spend them wisely, or will Death win the upper hand? Deathly Hallows AU


**A/N: I got this idea while reading Harry Potter theories. It was fun playing with "The Tale of Three Brothers" and the Deathly Hallows to apply it to Supernatural. It does ignore a bit of Supernatural lore for the sake of plot. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Kripke and J. K. Rowling**

The Tale of Three Winchesters

Three men, a father and his sons, were traveling in their great, black car when a woman appeared in the middle of the road on a dark, cloudy night. The father stopped the car with tremendous force and it came to a screeching halt in front of the young woman, who was cowering under the headlight's beams. A light mist began to pour as all three exited the car to approach the woman. What they did not know was that she was not of this earth, but was a ghost who preyed on the hearts of men. Her smile was wicked and sharp before she attacked. Now recognizing her for her true nature the men rushed in to action, for they were no ordinary men; they were hunters. And not of creatures who make their homes in the thickets and secret spots in the forest, but of the supernatural lurking in the dark corners of this earth.

The men grabbed their weapons and attacked her. They shot at her with rounds of salt and the younger brother slashed at her with a bar made from iron. The elder brother began to hunt for the object which tied her to this earthly plain and found the answer in the cross planted at the angular corner on the highway, just under a tree with a single bouquet of flowers next to it. He pulled out his lighter and set the memorial ablaze and watched as the woman attacking his father and brother disappear in a spectacular, bright flame.

Now exhausted, but satisfied, the three men replaced their weapons into the back of the car and made to resume their journey; however, Death had a different idea. The three men were meant to have died by the ghost's hands, but Death was not informed that these men were hunters of the supernatural and now had to deal with the repercussions these men would cause due to their survival. He appeared before them, startling the men as they were about to set off on their next adventure. He introduced himself as Death and applauded their skills in ridding the ghost of the woman from the highway. So astonished and charmed with their skills he was, he offered each man a wish.

The father, who wished to avenge the death of his wife, asked for a weapon which would have the power to kill a demon. Death grabbed a gun from the back of the car and carved a symbol into the hilt and handed it to the father, declaring the Colt one like no other. The father held it greedily and dismissed Death as one would dismiss a dog who had fetched a newspaper.

The younger brother knew the wish he wanted granted most the moment Death offered. He recently lost the love of his life to a vicious demon who burned her on the ceiling as his mother had before her and missed her gravely. Even now as he had been traveling on the road once more with his family he felt the loss of her presence, despite the efforts of his elder brother. So, he asked Death for an object which could bring back the dead. Death picked up a stone from the side of the road and instructed the younger brother to toss it thrice and his young love would return to him. He thanked Death profusely such as one who was more enraptured with the object in front of him, than the person who had granted it to him.

The last man, the elder brother, was wary of Death since he had lost his mother to him years ago when he was only a young boy. He let his father and younger brother ask for their hearts' desires before him as he thought about his desire. He had no wishes of his own. His father wanted revenge on for his mother's untimely death, so he himself also wanted revenge. His father wanted him to keep his brother safe and happy, so he also wanted his brother's lover to return from the dead. When Death turned to him, a cunning glint in his eyes, the elder brother asked for an object which would rid him of Death's overbearing shadow over him. Reluctantly, Death slipped his own pale ring off his finger and handed it to the elder brother, directing him to never remove it unless he wanted to meet Death again.

Now having granted each of their wishes Death left, now waiting patiently to recollect on what he lost.

The three men reentered their vehicle and drove off on the highway, never to return to it together again.

The men stayed at a seedy motel that night and it was then the father left his sons in search of the yellow eyed demon who had killed his wife. Three months into his search he located the demon and shot it in the head with the Colt, killing it where it stood. Rejoiced with finally coming to peace with his revenge, he celebrated at a bar for other hunters and drank his victory in glasses of whiskey. With each glass his words became looser and soon he was regaling everyone in the bar with the tale of his encounter with Death and the all powerful weapon he had gained from him, enabling him to kill the yellow eyed demon. One hunter in particular was intrigued with his tale, so as the old man lay passed out in the back of the bar he pried the weapon from his hands. For good measure he slit his throat, for her heard the man could have a temper and would no doubt seek revenge on the man who had taken his possession.

And so Death reclaimed the first Winchester.

On upon learning their father had left them for his quest to avenge their mother's death the brothers split up and the younger brother returned to the city where he had fallen in love with his girl. He sat in a hotel room holding the cold stone, staring at it deeply. Taking a deep, fortifying breath he flipped the stone thrice in his hand. And he waited. He felt the bed dip and he turned to his left and saw his beautiful lover, finally returned to him. He was elated until he learned she had not come back as flesh and blood, but as a ghost not unlike the one they had eliminated. He attempted to learn to love her again in her new form, but she was forlorn and wished to return to her Heaven where she was at peace. They both struggled to please one another until one day she turned malevolent and endeavored to kill him. Knowing there was no reverting back into the sweet woman he fell in love with the younger brother was forced to kill his former lover. Distraught with the agonizing weight of watching her die once more, and now by his own hands, he killed himself so he could truly be with her once more.

And so Death reclaimed the second Winchester.

After the elder brother cut ties with his younger brother and left the seedy motel in what was now his black car, he slipped on Death's white, square ring and kept driving. He discontinued his work as a hunter and faded into a life of normalcy, or as normal of a life one got for having hunted fairy tale creatures and wearing a gift from Death every day. Decades later, when his hair was gray and his fingers gnarled he drove back to the spot where he had encountered Death all those years ago and parked alongside the road. He slide the ring off his finger and Death reappeared, greeting him as one would an old friend. And so Death reclaimed the third and last Winchester.

The Colt, the stone, and the ring were never to found again.


End file.
